Carlos Prates has harsh phrases for followers who consider Neil Magny didn’t give it his all.
On Saturday evening, Prates confronted Magny in the principle occasion of UFC Vegas 100, knocking out the longtime UFC veteran on the finish of the primary spherical. It was the fourth end of Prates’s 2024 marketing campaign, and earned him his fourth efficiency bonus of the 12 months, however the end was not with out some detractors.
Although Prates dropped Magny early within the spherical, the ending blow that face-planted “The Haitian Sensation” was a curious little left hook that appeared to clip Magny’s temple as a substitute of land flush like many followers have come to anticipate with such knockouts. Because of this, some followers took to social media to query Magny’s willingness to struggle, even suggesting Magny took a dive. However Prates has no time for that nonsense.
“I feel they need to come right here and let me give a punch on his head,” Prates stated in his post-fight scrum. “Then after they’ll speak.
“ after I fought Li Jingliang? It was the identical the primary knockdown. I hit his head after which he goes down. I feel Neil Magny was the identical. I practice a number of boxing, many instances. Possibly 4 instances per week. Bro, my hand, after I punch you, irrespective of how or the place, you’re going to get harm.
“On the pinnacle is totally different on the face. On the face you get somewhat bit dizzy. However on the pinnacle you chop your legs and don’t really feel nothing and then you definitely come again. So I feel individuals speaking shit, they need to come right here and let me hit his head after which they’ll speak after.”
Magny at the moment holds quite a few UFC divisional data together with most fights, wins, strikes, and choices in UFC welterweight historical past. His 34 fights within the promotion make him tied with Jeremy Stephens at sixth-most fights all-time within the UFC. So given his lengthy historical past with the UFC and quite a few accolades, it’s honest for Prates to present little credence to the concept Magny merely wished out.
What Prates does give credence to is the place he goes from right here. Magny is at the moment ranked No. 15 within the UFC welterweight rankings, which means Prates is more likely to take his spot when these replace this coming week. Quickly to be a ranked fighter in simply his first 12 months with the promotion, Prates now hopes he can preserve this speedy upward momentum with a struggle in opposition to No. 4-ranked contender Jack Della Maddalena when the UFC heads to Maddalena’s residence nation of Australia in February for UFC 312.
“To be trustworthy, I feel the best choice could be in opposition to Jack Della Maddalena, however you may have the rank,” Prates stated. “I feel he’s No. 4 and doubtless subsequent Tuesday I will likely be 15. So I don’t know if he’s going to simply accept the struggle. Additionally, if the UFC goes to try this struggle, in the event that they assume it’s fascinating or one thing like that. But when it’s up to now and the UFC and Jack Della Maddalena don’t agree with that struggle, I’d be blissful preventing in opposition to Geoff Neal in all probability could be cool.”
And if neither of these work out, that’s positive too. For Prates, even making this far is already a dream, and one that’s shortly altering his life.
“It’s a dream,” Prates stated about his unimaginable 2024 run. “Just a few years in the past — not just a few years in the past, I feel two years in the past, one 12 months and a half I used to be preventing for possibly $200. Now I’m doing some huge cash. It’s a dream. I labored laborious for this for a few years and I’m actually blissful.”
